SpringyNews - On the Flip Side

Get Creative with the Admin Announcement Section of Your LibAnswers Site!

LibAnswers is all about making sure the right information reaches each user in the easiest way possible. We know this is important for both internal (staff) and external (patron) communications, so this first tip is a two-for-one.

This first suggestion comes from the Tulsa Community College, where LibAnswers Admins have started using their Announcement Box to leave visual, as well as text-based messages for staff members.

We’ve always made use of the Announcement box to update staff and have information handy but in the past few years we’ve started to use gifs to grab staff attention. It’s a fun way to highlight that there’s new info.

- Amanda Ross, Access Services and ILL Librarian, Tulsa Community College

Dancing Pumpkin Man has become an annual tradition at TCC

 

Make the Most of LibChat with the Lean Library Browser Plugin

On the flip side, Springshare has partnered with Lean Library to offer an exciting new feature for LibChat. With this browser plugin, your patrons can launch a chat with a librarian right inside their browser - on any webpage, from literally anywhere. They won't have to navigate to your library-run webpages to engage in a chat, instead, the tool is delivered directly to them in their preferred browser on any website they are visiting. Whether they're in Google Scholar, Wikipedia, or CNN.com, your LibChat widget can be easily launched from the Lean Library browser extension. To find out more, watch this recorded webinar or visit the Lean Library website.

Every manager knows that making sure all staff members are on the same page can be like herding cats, especially when new technology is being introduced. A seamless patron experience relies on each and every staff person, so it's important to make sure everyone has set up their accounts and integrations correctly. If that sounds like a daunting task, this tip is for you! 

The new LibCal "Integration Status" Report allows Admins to see the current integrations that each account holder has set up. The report includes:

• Calendar integration with Microsoft Exchange and Google Appointment syncs
• Online Appointment/Event integration with Zoom, Teams and WebEx

This report will ensure that all staff members have set up all their LibCal integrations correctly, which will in turn ensure a consistent patron experience. If you are an Admin user in LibCal, head to the Admin> Accounts> Integration Status to get started!  

This tip is a handy way to reuse content you've already created, while also ensuring that your tutorial stays up to date! We especially like that information will only have to be edited in one tool. If the LibGuides box is changed, the tutorial will display the most recent version of it in LibWizard. You'll never have to worry about outdated information appearing in your tutorial. 

Get Started:

To embed a single box from one of your LibGuides into a LibWizard tutorial, go into the edit screen for the specific box you’d like to use and copy the "Framed" widget code. We provide the code so you don't need to know any special tricks for this part, just copy all the text and save it for later. 

Once you have the widget code for your box saved, you can add it to your tutorial using either the "Embedded Media" tool or the "Custom Content" tool in the drag and drop LibWizard editor. 

To add the box using the "Embedded Media" tool:

• Create a new slide, select "Embedded Media" under slide type.
• Paste the widget code diectly into the provided text box.
• Check the "Full Width" option so your content will automatically scale to the width of the tutorial.

The LibGuides box spans the entire width of the slide

To add the box using the "Custom Content" tool:

Using the "Custom Content" option will allow you to add additional text to the slide so you might use it if you'd like to insert a smaller box that includes information like your library's hours or a specific librarian's contact information. 

The LibGuides Box appears with text

• Create a new slide and select "Custom Content" under slide type.
• This will open a rich text editor. Add any text you'd like and when you're ready to add the widget code, open the source code editor and paste the widget text directly into the text box.
• If you know any basic HTML editing tricks, you can change the size of the box or create columns for a more custom look!